Jackson County got its first migration of mallard in June of 2004. The day-old ducks flew into Alabama via a 727 jet liner to Birmingham and were trucked to AWA's mallard rearing facility near Scottsboro. 2100 ducks will be banded and released in Alabama. Banding day is slated for July 24, 2004 at 8 AM at Caney Creek Farm near Scottsboro.
The main question that anyone would ask is; Is the AWA mallard release project feasible for mallard population enhancement? AWA's study proves, yes, total cost is approximately $10.00 a mallard
Does AWA releasing mallards cause disease in the wild mallards? Dr. Frank Rowher and AWA's study proves no evidence that AWA's and other release project endangers the other migratory waterfowl. Migratory waterfowl has encountered released waterfowl on ponds, lakes and rivers for decades up and down the flyway, people have domestic waterfowl on many private acres and public rivers. There is no way to isolate our migratory wildlife from these encounters.
Overview
A five-year study of the AWA reared, Frost Waterfowl Trust Mallard Release Project has concluded. AWA will continue to band all the ducks that are released, but intensive interviews will not be conducted; band records will still be recorded and trended.
As with this year, weather being mild up north, the migratory mallards did not come south in the expected great numbers. You have to worry that if the young ducks that are reared and do not come south for the past two years, will this alter the migration in the southern states in the future. This is because, many of this years ducks that will be our breeding and duck producers, have never been south of the Mason-Dixon Line. AWA's mallard project and other state mallard projects data has shown that the released ducks that do go back north, they have shown evidence that they bring other migrating mallards to traditional southern over-wintering grounds. In late December many of previous years released mallards, that are harvested, especially on Caney Creek Farm, where mallards are reared to 35 days old, have the traditional bright orange legs. This does indicate the old saying 'red legs' meaning a new flight of mallard from the cold north has arrived, among these arrivals are AWA banded mallard that are just now coming down from up north.
AWA has also found that when ducks are released on suitable private habitat, hat the released ducks will many times fly out and actually lead the migrating mallards in the habitat that they were released on.
The released mallards also decoy over-flying mallards and other waterfowl that would possibly over-fly the habitat had no ducks been there. This is even true on public lands, if there are sloughs or coves that the released mallards resides, that it has been noted that these areas has large concentrations of migratory waterfowl.
To conclude AWA announces our findings that parallels with South Carolina Waterfowl Association's, and Dr. Frank Rowers research conducted in Maryland, finds this program to be a viable and cost effective way to increase mallards and harvest opportunity in the release site area' and other areas. Also, this increased harvest opportunity inspires the private sector to develop and enhance waterfowl habitat to enjoy the pleasures derived from waterfowl watching and hunting. This also help with tourism and boost the local and state economy.